Love, Death, Rebirth
by FireIceandPoison
Summary: L was meant to die, but against all odds...he didn't. He lived. The catch? He was sent to a world that isn't his. The only problem is that there is only one way back to the Death Note world and that is through a key. A key that can be used to transport through dimensions. Will L be smart enough to find it, and what world will he chose when he does? Rated M to be safe.
1. Prologue: Death

Prologue

'This is it', L couldn't help but think as a sharp pain forced its way into his heart, 'This was the moment I feared'.

He could hear shouts from around him and suddenly he could feel gravity pulling him towards the floor, his feet no longer touching the comfortable chair. L couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment as the air rushed around him, seemingly in slow motion. He knew he had trained his successors well, but he had wanted to be the one to take down Kira. To take down Light Yagami. There was no doubt in L's mind that the two were one in the same. Not one. L knew that he had bargained his life when he handed over the 'Death Note' to the seemingly innocent boy. He could see it in Light's eyes. One moment they were truly innocent, worrying about the safety of his team and that the, at the time, present Kira would get away. The next? They were malicious and filled with knowledge of his vile deeds. L knew how to read eyes like those for he had seen the same look in his predecessor's eyes while killing others. He had seen the same look in Beyond's eyes in Los Angeles. L had grown accustomed to the look and knew from then that nothing was the same. He couldn't deny though, that he had hoped Light wasn't Kira and that maybe he was wrong.

But L is never wrong.

It is the first fact all know about L. An undeniable truth that grasps men at the throat and sucks the life from them. A truth that sickens even the detective himself. Many believed he was heartless sometimes cruel and cold. In truth he wasn't. He sometimes loathed the knowledge himself, especially in cases such as this. Light was his first, seemingly true friend. A man who could keep up with him in mind and body. Light never took a hit with dishing one equal in strength back. And every coherent thought the one had the other could figure out logically and in more ways than one. His successors could easily match him in mine, but they were children that could very well leave and do as they pleased as A and B had done. Light though aspired for justice, strived to quench a thirst similar to L's own.

And that is where the difference lies between L and the children who loved him so.

Another strike of pain laced through L's chest as he hit the ground. The corners of his peripheral vision proved that multitudes of people were trying to come to his aid. Not that it would do any good. L already knew his time was nearly gone. He could feel it. His limbs were growing heavy and he could no longer feel his fingertips, no longer move them. L could feel that his breathing was becoming shallow and ragged, his lungs choking for the desperate need of air. His heart felt as if someone had reached through his chest and squeezed. He could feel the blood in his veins begin to slow along with his now-hardly aching heart.

"L!" A woman's voice screamed. He knew that voice. He knew it all to well. Struggling to fight his own death, he turned his head. When had Light picked him up? L wasn't sure. He was only sure of the cinnamon colored eyes above him, feigning ignorance as to what was happening yet held the darkest glint. That glint was what L had fought to see and now he could, without any restraints. He felt warmth to his left and something wet make its way to his cheeks. He turned his head to the woman who had screamed for him before.

"Stay awake for a little bit longer love please!" The woman cried, shaking. Elizabeth. Why was it so hard for him to remember her name? He could barely grasp any coherent thoughts; he could simply watch. Elizabeth bent forward and placed her lips against his. He couldn't move his hand to reach and stroke her hair like he had done so many times before. He wanted to though. He wanted to move his lips against hers like the many times they had in dark rooms and unviewed corners. He wanted to murmur sweet things to her but he simply lay there unsure of why or how. All he knew was Kira won. Elizabeth pulled away, sobbing quietly as she knelt down to his ear, excepting that this was the end, if only for a little while.  
"You will not die Lawliet," she hiccupped, low enough so only the dying L could hear. She swallowed before speaking again, taking his hand in hers. "There are many worlds other than our own, and that's where you will go. Both you and Watari. I made a deal with the Rem and this is the only way. One specific world you will be sent to, to find the key. The key to invincibility against the death note. Once you obtain it, nothing in this world can harm you. Promise me L, that you will find it. Please." Elizabeth begged, her own heart weeping. L, despite his nearing death, understood.

"I," L breathed and Elizabeth leaned over him to hear his last words until the next time they meet. "I promise. I love you." He whispered and Elizabeth let out a strangled sob.

"I love you too," she cried and laid her head against his chest as the darkness took over L. His limbs could no longer work, his heart and finally stopped and his lungs could no longer breathe. L closed his eyes and was blinded by the surprising array of colors that he never expected to see.

L had died.

This is where the story begins. A dead man fighting for his right to live again with only a belief in a key.

* * *

**Please review and tell me what you think, my friend *cough cough Jinxofthedesert cough* and I came up with this idea and she insited that I type it. So tell me what you think, should I go on or not? Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 1: Odd

In another world, in another place and time, three seventeen year old girls walked the floors of a city mall. Two of which were squealing like, you guessed it, girls. The third was off in her own little world, walking near the edge of the second floor. She twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, as she had grown accustomed to do when she was thinking, a lollipop sticking out of her mouth. She couldn't help but find her two best friends annoying at this point in time, since they had not stopped talking about a teenage lead singer from the band 'Ace of Spades'. She never could understand what was so great about a man who they could never have. She smiled then at the thought, knowing she was no bit better. She loved men that weren't real so she had no true, tangible chance. They're beloved man was real, much unlike the things she had admired.

"James is so freaking cute! Ugh it's a shame his twenty ninth birthday is coming up." Jane sighed to the girl to her right, the one closest to the wall. Jane was a petit girl with thick brown nearly black hair that was normally seen up in a ponytail high upon her head. She didn't have the best vision so she wore thick, square framed black glasses that many agreed made her almond colored eyes pop. Jane was the type of girl that wasn't very good with fashion but she could recommend a good book for practically any person, seemingly to have read every single book in existence (or so Olivia says). Olivia sighed in defeat.

"Plus it's illegal to date girls under eighteen," she then paused. "It's also illegal to kidnap someone." She stated, giving Jane a pointed glare.

Jane pouted. "It was only a suggestion."

"A suggestion in which could result in us being sent to prison."

"It wouldn't be the first time a girl has tried. He's irresistible."

"Amen to that." Olivia cheered. Olivia wasn't the type of person many would expect to see hanging with the others. She was infact the most desired girl in their high school. She had long natural sun bleached blonde hair with the widest blue eyes and fullest lips at Jackson High. She was a cheerleader too for many years but quit when they tried to get her to ditch her two closest friends. Of course she is still well loved at school, her friends are just ignored most days. Jane counts that as lucky. Both girls turned to the third who had not spoken a word for the past ten minutes.

"What's wrong Melissa?" Olivia asked, frowning in concern. Melissa became startled and quickly looked over at her two friends, who had stopped walking to see what was the matter. Her finger paused mid twirl and the small, delicate curl slipped away from her finger. Melissa sighed, looking at her now bare hand and dropped it to her side, not realizing how badly it ached from toying with her hair for nearly the whole two hours that they were there.

Melissa smiled and pulled the strawberry lollipop from her sticky lips. "Nothing! I was just thinking!" And in truth she was. She was always thinking. Thinking about a quote she had read several years ago, thinking about the latest instrumental music she could add to her play list, thinking about her anime and fictional characters and what ways she would change the stories. She was always thinking about objects of that nature so she wouldn't have time to pause and stop about something that was truly worth thinking about. Something that had left her heartbroken and alone.

She was staring at the only two people who truly loved her and turned, smiling at them. Olivia let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Melissa was beginning to worry her, she thought with a sigh. Melissa was old enough to live on her own and she had been since the accident, but ever since then she had become reclusive. It was rare to actually find her out like this, in a mall with her friends. She used to be so bright and lovely, always chatting away like a normal girl should. Now she's somewhat cold. No, not cold. Cold was never a word used to describe her. Distant was what she was now. They were only beginning to get the real Melissa back but sometimes Olivia couldn't help but wonder if they're belief was true or not. She studied her friend of nearly nine years as they began to walk once more.

Melissa was beautiful no doubt, a bit on the plain side-or so they sometimes couldn't help but think- with the curliest hair to ever be found. It was also blood red, the color so bright it made a stop sign look dull and lifeless. It fell into perfect ringlets all the way down to her waist and Olivia never stopped wondering how it could be so soft and curly without any knots, as her hair usually obtained. Jane made a funny and Melissa smiled, the lollipop stick poking out of her mouth at the corner, so to reveal the whitest teeth. Olivia sometimes wished she could be as gorgeously plain as her best friend and have those emerald green eyes that always held a spark of mischief, no matter how gloomed she may be. At the moment she was simply wearing a baggy white t-shirt, skinny jeans, her old beat up gray, white and pink converse and her beige leather jacket.

"So where are we going next?" Jane said, speaking to Olivia. It took her a second before she realized whom the question was asked to.

Olivia swallowed as the other two looked at her, and then put up her best photo watt smile.

"I heard bath and body works have a new type of perfume, you wanna go check that out?" Jane perked up even more than she already had. She loved perfume.

"Absolutely, you down Liz?" Jane asked, her dark hair flicking over her shoulder as she looked back over at her. Melissa grinned.

"Yea sure." Melissa said quickly through her lollipop, as she fingered the papery white stick and played with a lock of her cherry red hair.

"But I want to pick up some more suckers. I'm all out."

Olivia couldn't help but roll her eyes." Those will give you cavities." She nagged and Jane snickered silently.

Melissa paused for a moment, as if to be thinking about it before taking a step closer to the candy store that they happened to stop infront of.

"Yes they just might. But there is way to fight against it."

"Oh and how is that?" Olivia asked with a hint of playfulness to her motherly tone.

Melissa smiled. "Brush your teeth of course!" And she took a final step back, not watching where she was going and crashing into someone behind her.

She let out an "oomph!" as she stumbled into a very stern and very warm person.

'Damn it' she thought to herself as she her feet slid from under her.

A warm, firm hand grasped her upper forearm, steadying her from falling.

"Please watch where you are going next time. It would be very problematic if you were to fall."

A very calculating and monotonous voice said as Melissa turned to thank the man behind her. Though her chest had just taken a dive to the floor as her eyes met familiar dark ones. A dark pair of eyes in which she had grown accustomed to love and cherish over the many times she's looked at them. Her green eyes drank in the appearance of the man before her.

Pale, baggy, long sleeve t-shirt covered the man's slim upper torso while baggy blue jeans covered the lower. Old battered sneakers covered the man's feet, instead of the bare ones she had grown accustomed to. Dark, unbrushed, raven hair covered his face in a complete mess and his skin was just as pale as she knew it to be.

"L," she couldn't help but breathe. The man's dark eyes seem to widen just fractionally but enough that she could catch it. It didn't matter though, she was fangirling and that was all that matter. Melissa squealed. "Oh my goddess, this is the best cosplay I've ever seen of L in my life!" She said, her voice going up a few octaves and her two friends behind her frowned.

"I beg your pardon?" An elderly man carrying bags full of candy said and Melissa gasped.

"Oh and Watari! Perfect now we just need to find Mello, Matt, Near, and Beyond too!" Melissa clapped like a three year old and looked around to see if any one else was dressed as her favorite characters.

"Cosplay," the man "dressed" as L murmured, placing his thumb against his lip in habit. He noticed though that the girl smiled.

"Man you've got him down to the T!" She squealed and Jane came up behind her.

"What's going on?" She asked Melissa, eyeing the man up with distaste. He studied her as well and couldn't help but feel a sense of unease radiate from the dark haired girl.

"Oh Jane, these men dressed up as Watari and L!" Melissa explained with a grin. A frown appeared on her face as Olivia came up on the other side. Melissa gave an exasperated sigh and the men watched her as she launched into her explanation.

"L and Watari are from my favorite anime remember?" She asked, hoping they would.

Jane paused. "You mean the…one you were ranting about a few weeks back? Death Note right?"

"Yes!" Melissa explained. "Well these two gentlemen are dressed as two characters from the anime. L, the greatest detective on the world," she sent the man a wink. Watari gave her a pleasant smile. "And Watari is his caretaker."

"Oh!" Olivia said, remembering walking in on Melissa one night, watching the episodes for the tenth time. Melissa smiled. "Well they did a good job didn't they?"

Melissa nodded in excitement and looked back at the men. "You guys did amazing and I hope you win something from it." She paused. "What are your names?"

This is were 'L' snapped up in attention. Calculating he knew that there was a slight probability that she would knew his name, considering she had mentioned his successors moments before. It would be a safe conclusion that she knew a lot about them and where they came from. Though, considering her context L wouldn't be surprised if many knew of him and Watari. He had to tread carefully, L wasn't sure if Kira was in this world or not and he didn't want to do anything rash just yet.

He brought his thumb away from his mouth and stuck out the opposite hand. He wasn't one for physical contact but he also didn't want a scene. He already was unsure of where and of what world he was in.

"My name is Luke Harris and this is my father, Walter Harris. It's is a pleasure." Luke said politely as he gently shook her hand.

She smiled. "I'm Melissa Kulks, and the pleasure must be mine."

"Hungarian?" Luke asked as he stuck out his hand for the blonde one to take.

"I'm Olivia Harrison and this is Jane Foster."

"Pleasure." Luke said and retracted his hand. Melissa smiled.

"Yes, you speak it?"

Luke mentally sighed, wishing he had taken that language back home. Oh well, he'll just have to find the time later. "No that is one language I haven't had the pleasure of learning."

"You speak more than one?" Melissa asked, excited.

"Yes. I'm fluent in nearly eight." Too much information. "I must apologize, we do need to get going." L wanted out of there and now.

Melissa felt her heart drop but she smiled anyways. "Of course, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. And thank you for uh…for catching me." She said, her cheeks tinting pink. Luke gave a slight nod of his head before slipping around them. Olivia watched as the two odd balls disappeared around the bend.

"Odd." She said simply while Melissa went inside, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as one word echoed through her mind.

Luke.


	3. Chapter 3: Dreams and Shadows

"How peculiar," L muttered mostly to himself as he watched the Redhead, Melissa begin dancing out of the candy shop; a handful of cherry flavored lollipops in her back pocket and another sticking out of her mouth. L couldn't help but notice the way her ruby hair spun in the air in the silkiest of ways as she spun about, much to the amusement of her friends.

"What is it that you find peculiar…. Luke?" Watari said with a slight smugness to his tone. But it was also laced with pride. L always was one to come up with the grandest of stories on a whim.

L bit his thumb again, feeling the nerves within his skin numb in a familiar manner. "You did notice how she was the only one to directly speak to us." It wasn't a question. Watari had been trained to notice everything, just as L was. They had both noticed that, while only a few stared at them openmouthed and eyes wide, not one of them came up and talked to them. Even the cashier in the candy store was hesitant in even saying hello. But she had spoken immediately after bumping into him. Of course there was a slight chance that she was just a friendly person, but it was enough for L to contemplate it for only a second. "I am in belief that whatever we were sent here for has something to do with her." L's voice dropped to the barest of whispers.

"What would a young lady like herself have to do with finding a key?" Watari wondered aloud. He was hesitant, for the first time, in believing in L's theory. Of course even though the detective was never wrong, Watari was unsure how she could play a part. After all, she could be just another 'fan' of theirs and only wished to speak to them. This posed a conundrum to the old man but still he looked at his ward with a trained eye, and knew with slight disappointment that L wasn't going to let that girl go without proving her ignorance to their predicament. It only made it worse that she knew so much about them, and had shouted it out as if it were nothing at all even though they were the greatest secrets at Whammy's.

L had contemplated the chances of her being apart of this and how she might be able to help. The chances were slim and were in the favor of her being ignorant to their situation but from the growing achy feeling in his stomach L knew he was on the right track. But how could a girl like her help? He wondered, and for the first time in his life he was unable to come up with a cemented answer. So, even when his pride screamed at him not to, he simply replied: "I do not know."

**Melissa**

Melissa stared absent-mindedly at the swirling liquid before her. The white foam danced across the dark liquid as she tilted the spoon and watched the white flecks fall.

'Snow' she thought to herself as they crystals dissolved into the swirling void. 'Flecks of white amidst the dark'. She dropped the spoon into the mug with a thump and, with her forefinger and thumb, swirled it around until someone sighed before her. Melissa cast her green eyes upwards at the irritated sigh, uninterested. Brown eyes sparked with worry with an undertone of anger and sadness.

"Any more sugar in that and you'll give yourself diabetes." Olivia said as she walked into the kitchen, where the two girls awaited. Melissa quietly studied her. It wouldn't be the first time she had done it of course; she just found it humoring.

Olivia walked with a sway of her belly dancer hips and a flicking of her blonde hair every so often. Melissa studied the way her uniform conformed to her every curve, from the hips any girl would die for to the subtle chest that was neither too big nor too small. She was just tying her red tie around her neck and slightly fumbled with it. Jane rolled her almond eyes behind her glasses and walked up to assist her.

Jane walked with a type of uncertainty. As if…she knew what she was doing but was too afraid to do it. She didn't walk with a sway of her hips or a flick of her hair, though her dark hair did sway a lot in that high and ever so smooth ponytail of hers. She walked with careful precision, as if every step she took was calculated and precise…like a ballerina's, though much more graceful.

Melissa did a mental sigh as she spun her spoon around her tea. Melissa wasn't graceful by any means nor did she have hips like Olivia. She didn't think she was pretty. Well, Melissa didn't believe she was ugly either but she wasn't gorgeous like her friends were. Olivia had the softest and the brightest, natural blonde hair and Melissa often found herself weaving her fingers threw it on homework nights, braiding it when she got bored. And her eyes, Melissa thought. So blue, one would think that they were the sea personified. And then she had the body of a model. Smooth stomach, perfectly rounded hips and thighs, chest, everything. It wasn't that Melissa was so jealous of her friend that she happened to compare these things to her own, clumsy body. It was the fact that they had been friends for so long that they knew everything about each other. From the curve of each other's hips to how many golden specks that resided on each of the girls' eyes. Everything. So it wasn't that Melissa was jealous, she simply knew what was true. Her own body was odd, more of a triangle shape. A small chest to oddly rounded, boy hips to flared thighs and only slightly bulged stomach. She walked with shyness, as if all she wanted to do was hide in the shadows and close in on herself. It didn't help that her hair was always unmanageable (Olivia believes otherwise, though Melissa doesn't know why) and her eyes. What color were they anyways? Some days Melissa couldn't tell, either they were so green they made moss look lifeless or so dark they made black look grey.

Melissa did a mental eye roll as she went back to studying her lifeless tea, watching the steam rise in en erotic dance into the air, spinning, swirling.

"You ready for school Liz?"

A tired smirk graced her ruby bitten lips. "Depends, are you ever gonna learn how to tie a tie?"

Jane laughed out loud and Olivia sent her iced ices her way, but underlying the challenge was a tone of amusement, which made Olivia's lips quirk upwards at the corners. But immediately she was serious.

"Another one?" She asked quietly and Jane paused in her daily routine of making herself a cup of coffee, black.

Melissa swallowed and without answering, pulled the spoon from the void and lifted the ceramic mug to her chapped lips. The warmth seeped into the pores above her lip as she tilted the cup up, parting her lips for a small, sugar filled, sip. The sweet treat flowed against her tongue like the creamiest caramel and slid easily and warmly down the back of her throat, instantly heating her insides. Olivia's eyes dimmed and she cast them down, fumbling with the hem of her white, crisp button-down shirt.

"What were these ones about?" Jane murmured, taking charge and turning to the tired girl.

Melissa sighed, licking her lips and inwardly flinching at their rough pattern on her tongue.

"Darkness. I was in a dark room." Melissa finally answered.

Jane poured herself that cup of coffee and quietly dragged a chair out to sit herself down. She inhaled quite a large sip as Olivia set down too.

"Go on." Jane said, taking another sip and pushing up her glasses, as they began to inch forward down her nose.

Melissa didn't want to relive the dreams. She never did, but if she didn't she'd go insane. "I was tied and bound, and the whole time, all I heard was you both screaming for me to help." Melissa paused, taking in a sip and trying to seem like this didn't affect her. "But all I could do was sit and listen to your agonized screams."

Olivia's jaw was clenched and her crystal eyes were cast down while Jane simply stared at the case of roses at the center of the table.

"But," Melissa began and both eyes snapped to hers. "They're getting better. A lot better than watching my father get repeatedly stabbed every night."

Jane and Olivia both wore forced smiles; Melissa noticed but decided not to say a word. Atleast they were trying. Her clouded eyes then flicked to the clock above their shared stove and nearly shrieked.

"Oh dear Josiah, we're gonna be late!"

This time Olivia grinned, her eyes flickering to the other two's. Melissa grabbed her red tie hanging on the chair and backpack before sprinting to the door, her best friends at her heals. She slipped on her Knee-High flat boots before steeping out the door. Flicking the fabric over her head she began the process while walking up the hill to their designated bus stop.

"So Alex asked me out last night." Olivia began conversation as Melissa tightened the tie. Alex Frat seemed kind for a football player but Melissa knew how to get around and always seemed to be in ear shot when he talked of his latest conquering. She then shot a "are you serious" look to her blonde friend.

"If you agree I'm going to smack you." Jane said, agreeing with Melissa's look. "That boy has no brains. No common sense. I'm surprised he even know what two plus two is." Jane reached up and pulled on her near black hair to tighten the ponytail.

Melissa snorted as she slid her book bag closer to her neck, annoyed that it insisted on slipping down her shirt-clad shoulder. Olivia sent her a pleading glance.

"Oh no, I'm staying out of this. I plead the fifth." Melissa shook her head, her red curls bouncing.

Olivia rolled her eyes. Melissa always pleaded the fifth with their disputes, including ones with boys. The girls stepped onto the cracked sidewalk and up to the written on, cruddy bench.

"Atleast tell me what you think of him?" Olivia pleaded, setting her book bag onto their bench.

Melissa rolled her eyes and leaned heavily against the back of the wooden bench.

"Because he wants to bang you into next Thursday that's why." Melissa said, doing all she could not to laugh but failed when she bit the corner of her lip after licking it, a sure sign that she's going to laugh. Jane joined her laughter and it rang out onto the deserted street as Olivia narrowed her eyes.

"I highly doubt it, Alex is kind and sweet. A true gentlemen."

"I call bullshit," Jane replied seriously. "Just last week he was talking about that girl Sierra and how she was the worst lay ever." Olivia's cheeks went cherry blossom pink. Jane and Melissa shared a knowing look before rolling their eyes.

Olivia licked the inside of her lip-gloss coated lips. "Yea well what about you Melissa? You got the hots for anybody yet?"

"Nope," Melissa replied smoothly, meeting the crystal gaze truthfully.

"Oh yea?" Jane teased, joining Olivia's retribution. "What about that Luke character Saturday?" She asked as the wind blew. Melissa flicked away her curls in annoyance but felt her cheeks warm up at the thought.

Jane's jaw dropped and Olivia cackled with laughter as the familiar front of their bus came off from the Stoplight, heading their way.

"Melissa's got a boy toy, Lizzie's got a boy toy!" Olivia sang, off key, laughing.

"Shut up!" Melissa said, horrified. "I don't even know him. I like L. He's the only one for me, not some boy playing dress up."

"Oh? If so I dare you to shout it out. No scream that you're in love with this L character and I'll believe it." Olivia teased. Melissa glared but snorted, shrugging her shoulders. This she had no problem with.

"Fine." Melissa grabbed her book bag so she could get on the bus when it pulled up, cupped her hands to her lips and screamed.

"I LOVE YOU L LAWLIET!" Jane and Olivia cackled like hyenas as the bus red lights flickered on, pulling up on the other side of the street.

"I still don't believe you." Olivia grinned. "Besides he was cute. Maybe you'll run into him again."

"The possibility of that is low."

"But still possible." Olivia teased. "And if you believe in fate, things like that do come true." To this, Melissa rolled her eyes. Jane grinned.

"Come on Mrs. Lawliet. We've got to go." Jane teased with a smile as she gazed at the flustered red head. Melissa pushed her bangs back and rolled her eyes as a familiar tingly feeling settled in her stomach. Mrs. Lawliet. She quite liked that. Melissa grinned as she followed behind her two friends as they crossed the road and onto thegreat big yellow thing that tronsported them to one of the many regions of hell. Some of the cheerleaders pulled down their windows, shouting their love for Olivia, to which she smiled and waved. Jane filed on first, no doubt choosing a front and very vacant seat where she could read and listen to music alone. Olivia would file on next, sitting with the pom pom girls and ball tag boys in the back. Mellisa would take whatever seat was available, and pray it like Jane's would be vacant. Melissa reached out for the side rail to help herself onto the bus when the hairs on the back of her neck stood high. She didn't like the feeling that settled within her bones.

She tried to fight the urge to turn around but, she did not previal. She tried.

But she did.

And there, in the shadows of a building stood two figures. Watching her.

Melissa swallowed, and before the bus driver could yell at her, quickly stepped onto the bus.


	4. Chapter 4: Winter In Me

Melissa yawned as she stared up at the blue sky, clouds floating above her. She stretched her arms above her, feeling the need for sleep etch its way down through her bones. The nippy air brushed its ice fingertips against her hips as her shirt lifted and she shivered. Dangling above her head was her sling on backpack that she had tied to the tree branch above. She eyes the bag curiously like a kitten and reached up to see if there were any leftover lollipops in her corner pocket. To her dismay there was only one. But one would do.

"Peach," she said happily and pulled off the wrapper. She hummed when the delicately cold treat met her tongue. Looking back up at the sky, she brought her legs up and lay on the thick branch, feet above the ground. Shoving the small treat to the side of her mouth she looked down and allowed her fingers to trace across the cool bark, tracing the veins and its skin.

"_When the autumn colors pass," _She murmured as the chilled wind blew, sending Goosebumps along her uncovered skin. 'Fitting,' Melissa thought to herself as her red hair danced with the wind.

"_Through the season's hourglass." _She began again, her voice like an echo through the slowly changing leaves. Melissa clenched up, feeling a familiar gap in her chest. _"Once again there is winter in me." _

"_Dad, I don't know how to dance." A frightened fifteen-year-old girl said as a familiar tune began to play. _

"_Then I'll teach you," her father replied with a warm smile. His grey eyes studied her shaking form. Melissa had wanted to go to homecoming with her friends, but was too afraid because she didn't know how to dance. Especially slow ones. _

_He father, Michael, held out his hands. "But what if I mess up Dad?" But even as she asked, her small seemingly fragile hands slipped into his large, masculine ones. _

_His grey eyes were lit with amusement. "Place your feet onto mine love." And she did, now inches taller than she was before. "Ready?" He whispered_

"When the autumn colors pass." _The woman's voice began, radiating through the small house, slow and soft. Completely in sync to the piano._

_One step. Two steps. Back. Forward. Turn. _

_And not once did those green eyes move from the grey. _"Through the season's hourglass."

"_See, not so bad." Her father mumbled as they took another step. _"Once again there is winter in me."

"_I suppose not," they spun gently and ever so slowly her feet slid from his. _"When November's grass is brown." _The delicate voice hummed its way into the young girl's heart, and somewhere in the back of her mind she felt as if she knew how to dance. As if she already knew and all she needed was incentive. "I feel like I've done this before Dad." She whispered, doing all she could not to disturb the companionable calm around them._

"_Oh?" Her father inquired._

"_Yes," she whispered once more. And closing her eyes, she could almost feel the snow drifting around her in its own dance. _

"By the frost upon the ground. It is then you'll find the winter in me."

"_What do you see Melissa?" He asked, his voice warm and quiet._

_A flurry of visions fluttered behind her closed eyelids. "I see a girl."_

_And she did._

"_Go on," her father urged._

"_I see a girl in a beautiful gown dancing in the snow. Her dress is as silver as the white around her and she dances as if there is nothing else in the world but the music. As if she isn't cold." And this was true. Her gowns swayed around her in the most elegant of ways, a silvery light amidst the cold. _

"But underneath the fallen snow, lies a harvest yet to come."

"_And what does she look like?" _

_Melissa's eyes squinted, though they were closed. The face was blurry. "I do not know. But two others have joined her."_

"_Yes, but what does she look like?" _

"For just as spring is garneted."

_The girl turned and Melissa nearly lost her footing. The girl had hair as red as blood and skin as pale as snow. Eyes as green as moss and reddened cheeks from the cold. "Me." Melissa whispered._

"Life is etched into the seed."

_Melissa opened her eyes to see her father smiling. "I love you."_

"Time to welcome the winter in me," Melissa whispered, her voice wet and shaky and leaned heavily against the bark, wincing only slightly when the branch sliced into her legs. She could feel the blood drip down her white stockings but she didn't care.

She didn't care.

Not one bit.

She was already in pain, and such a mere thing had no affect on her.

"Dad," Melissa mumbled, feeling her heart shatter for the millionth time that day.

The lollipop she recently began eating had carelessly fallen to the ground, feet below and in the distance she could hear the crunching of leaves and twigs, alerting her that the other two were appearing and soon.

"Melissa!" Jane's voice resonated through the trees.

Melissa sighed, her time daily time of mourning passing. She swallowed and licked her lips, feeling even more weighed down then before. Clearing her throat to alleviate the mass that had grown within it, she reached up and pulled her book bag from the branch above before dropping it to the ground.

"Over here Jane!" Melissa called out before throwing her right leg over the branch; flinching at how much trouble she's going to get into with Jane. She did infact just wash these stockings and now there was covered in dirt and blood. Melissa shrugged in indifference and moved to jump when a shadow caught her eye. She reached her left arm up and grabbed the above branch to steady herself so she could see.

At the edge of the clearing she sat in was a figure a lot taller than herself. She cocked her head in curiosity.

"Who's there?" She called out, figuring it was someone she knew. But the figure did not answer; only stood in the shadows, ever watching.

"What was it you were singing?" The voice asked, deep and monotone.

Melissa knew she shouldn't talk to strangers. It was the first lesson anyone gave you, but for some reason she felt safe. As if… he wouldn't harm her.

So she jumped down and took a few steps forward, to which the stranger stepped back.

"Winter in Me by Skylar Grey." She answered, not moving any closer.

"It was lovely." He replied.

"Thank you." Melissa answered, not realizing that she had sung the whole song out loud. "What is your name?" She asked, curious to see if she knew the person behind the trees.

"I have many names." He replied evasively.

"Then tell me one."

The man seemed to hesitate as if either confused by the way she answered or didn't know whether to.

"Call me Eric."

Melissa smiled. "Eric huh? I'm-"

"MELISSA!" Olivia's high-pitched voice screamed and Melissa sighed, casting her eyes up to the figure.

"That," Melissa cracked a grin. The figure, Eric chuckled. That is when she heard the snapping of twigs once more.

"Oh my goddess Liz, we were looking everywhere for you!" Olivia said wildly, her eyes wide and afraid. Melissa rolled her eyes.

"I didn't kill myself nor die, I'm fine."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "We wouldn't have known that with your disappearing now would we?"

Melissa sighed but Jane saved her from a very heartfelt and pride-wrenching apology. "So what's for dinner?"

Olivia scoffed. "Is that all you think about? Food." But Jane smiled.

"Hell yea, food is life and I'm dying." Melissa cracked a grin.

"Spaghetti tacos?" She suggested and both girls gave a shout of approval.

Melissa shook her head, grinning and turned to look over to the woods, hoping this Eric character was still there.

But when she looked, he had disappeared as if never he never existed.

* * *

**Author's Note: I do not Own Death Note, nor the song "Winter in me" by Skylar Grey. **


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